Newly appointed president, Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced his first government cabinet, which comprises 39 members, including five women, seven Deputy Ministers and four Secretaries of State. The appointments fail to introduce sweeping changes and have disappointed most opposition figures and pro-democracy Hirakists. This cycle of ministerial nominations is clearly a missed opportunity to introduce new faces and break from the toxic era of Bouteflika. There is also issues of competency and real skills needed to contain the Algerian political crisis on the economy.
After being the chosen man of General Gaid Salah, the death of the latter demonstrates now that President Tebboune is lost and cannot figure out how to drive the next steps of an obscure agenda. Although his Prime Minister, Abdelaziz Djerad, was not well known by the public, many of the figures in charge of key ministries were Bouteflika’s operatives, and many come from the most recent cabinet, headed by unpopular interim Prime Minister, Bedoui.
In this latest cabinet, announce on 2 January 2020, we note the elimination of the post of Deputy Minister of Defense. In the previous cabinet, the post was controlled by the late General Gaid Salah, who was also Army Chief of Staff, in what was clearly a contradictory dual appointment. In doing so, the regime now signals that it wants to lessen the impact of the military on civilian affairs, a position that will be difficult to convince given the real power is with the Generals. Abdelmadjid Tebboune is also the Minister of National Defense. The military theoretically reports to him, but we remain skeptical that the military command will give up power that easily.
Although the removal of the post of Deputy Defense Minister is a welcome development, even though it is of a cosmetic nature, Sabri Boukadoum, the short-lived acting Prime Minister, kept his job at Minister of Foreign Affairs. the controversial Belkacem Zeghmati at Justice, Kamel Beljoud at the Interior, Mohamed Arkab at the Energy Ministry, and Cherif Omari in Agriculture are old figures. There is also the return of Bouteflika ministers, including Hassan Mermouri in tourism, Sid Ahmed Ferroukhi in fisheries industry, and Farouk Chiali, at the Minister of Public Works and Transport, appointments that are now satisfactory.
One welcomed move is the dismissal of Ms. Houda Feraoun from the Ministry of ITC and postal services. Feraoun has been the subject of intense attacks from the opposition and the anti-regime movement for alleged involvement in corrupt practices, including favoring Chinese tech suppliers in procurement contracts. She is replaced by Brahim Boumzar, an industry executive.
One peculiar decision was the removal of the Economy Ministry, whose tasks are likely to fall under the purview of the finance minister who previously held the same post under Bouteflika. A new figure in government is that of well-known economist and media commentator Ferhat Ait Ali at the Ministry of Industry, Ammar Belhimer at Communication and Chems Eddine Chitour at Higher Education.
